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On Saturday, November 19th, members of the Southeastside Environmental Justice Alliance rallied with residents and consumers against the proposed Coal Gasification Plant. The plant, which will cost 3 billion dollars plus to construct, will chemically process coal and pet coke into syngas, and produce tons of the greenhouse gas, CO2 that will have to be sequestered underground. Not all CO2 or other emissions will be captured, and other hazardous pollutants that cannot be extracted for profit will be captured and disposed of accordingly. By comparison, using natural gas is cheaper and less polluting.

Tired of polluting, smelly, and dirty industry, residents spoke out against the project asking instead for greener industries and job opportunities.

After brief statements from representatives of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, Green Seed Energy, the Juan Diego Center, the Blue-Green Alliance, the People for Community Recovery and the Eastside Methodist Church, participants marched up and down Avenue 0 welding signs to call attention to the issue. Many drivers passing by honked their horns in empathy.